The Interaction Between Iron and Zinc Supplementation on their Bioavailability and Metabolism in Experimental Animals

Abstract

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect and the interaction between iron and zinc supplementation at different doses on their bioavailability, Zn plasma, Total iron, Total iron binding capacity, Complete Blood Counts (CBCs) as well as histopathological changes in rats were investigated after supplementation. This study was carried out using 56 weanling male albino rats of Sprague- Dawley strain weighing 40±5gm and divided into 7 groups as follow:- Group1: fed on basal diet as control group. Group2: fed on basal diet + 2 folds of Fe RDA as FeSO4. Group3: fed on basal diet + 5 folds of Fe RDA as FeSO4. Group4: fed on basal d diet + 10 folds of Fe RDA as FeSO4. Group5: fed on tandard diet + 2 folds of Zn RDA as ZnSO4. Group6: fed on basal diet + 5 folds of Zn RDA as ZnSO4. Group7: fed on basal diet + 10 folds of Zn RDA as ZnSO4. Water and diet were provided ad-libitum for eight weeks. Food intake, body weight gain and feed efficiency were recorded. Also absolute organs weight (liver, heart, kidney and spleen) was recorded immediately after sacrificing. Blood samples which withdrawn from hepatic portal vein were placed into heparinized and clear tubes and centrifuged to maintain plasma and serum. Some biochemical and histological investigations were done to Serum, plasma and specimens of liver and spleen. 7.1. Morphological changes: 7.1.1. Mortality percent: No mortality was done in groups G1, G2, G3, G4 and G5, but mortality percent by 25% in group 6 which fed on basal diet plus 5 fold RDA Zn, and 37.5% in group7 which fed on basal diet plus 10 fold RDA Zn. 7.1.2. Body weight gain: Body weight gain has genarally increased during first weeks, after that rats fed on basal diet + 2 fold and 5folds RDAs‘ Fe significantly increased than control. While slightly significante in G4 which fed on basal diet + 10fold RDAs‘ Fe , and G5 which fed on basal diet + 2fold RDAs‘ Zn were noticed as compared with control, while rats which fed on basal diet + 5 folds and 10 folds RDAs‘ Zn showed decrements as compred with control. Summary 150 7.1.3. Food intake: Food intake have significantly increased in G2 ( rats fed on standard diet +2fold RDAs‘ Fe) as compared with control. Whereas, group 3, group4 and group6 slightly decrease as compared with control and highly decreased in groups5 and 7 which fed on standard diet plus 5, 10 folds RDAs‘ Zn than control group. 7.1.4. Feed efficiency: Feed efficiency has significantly increased in group2 which fed on basal diet plus 2fold RDAs‘ Fe, while was in-signifiacnt in group 4 (rats fed basal diet + 5folds RDAs‘ Fe) as compared with control group. However, rats fed on basal diet plus 10 fold RDAs‘ Fe, 2folds RDAs‘ Zn, 5fold RDAs‘ Zn, and 10fold RDAs‘ Zn significantly decreased as compared with control group. 7.2. Changes occurred in relative organs' weights: 7.2.1. Liver: There was significant increament in relative weight of liver in groups 2, G3 and G4, which fed on standard plus 2, 5 and 10 folds RDAs Fe, as compared with control group. And also, significant increament in relative weight of liver in groups 5, G6 and G7 which fed on standard diet + 2folds RDAs‘ Zn, 5folds RDAs‘ Zn and 10folds RDAs‘ Zn as compared with control group. 7.2.2. Heart: The relative weight of heart hadn‘t significant changes in G2, G3,G4 and G5, while had significant increments in G6 and G7. 7.2.3. Kidney:There was significantly increament in relative weight of kidney in Fe groups (G2, G3 and G3), which fed on 2 , 5 and 10fold RDs' Fe. Whereas, there was high significant increament in relative weight of kidney in Zn groups (G5,G6 and G7) which fed on 2 , 5 and 10fold RDAs‘ Fe. 7.2.4. Spleen:Dtata summarized were showed no-signficant differences in all groups. Fe groups which fed on 2, 5 and 10 fold RDAs Fe and Zn groups which fed on 2, 5 and 10 fold RDAs Zn compared with